RachelWatch: A History — and Present — of Violence

Today: The excellent Ana Marie Cox and the latest news on several awful, awful people.

Domestic Terrorism

Turns out that there is still no shortage of complete bastards in the world. Rachel started off with the awful story of the shooting at the Holocaust Museum. James W. von Brunn reportedly walked into the museum and almost immediately opened fire, fatally wounding security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns.

The museum staff described Johns as an outstanding guard who was friendly to everyone. He leaves behind a young son.

Rachel welcomed Mark Weitzman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center to try to make some sort of sense of the senseless.

One More Thing:

Abdulhakim Muhammad, accused of killing two young men at a military recruiting center last week, took a cue from another domestic terrorist and called the Associate Press to say why he thought his murders were justified.

Infernal spokesperson Mike Beelzebub says he is “looking forward” to the discussion when Muhammad arrives.

Red Alert

And just to remind us that ideological thuggery comes in all flavors, Rachel gave us a chilling report on the rise in threats and violence aimed at abortion clinics since Dr. George Tiller’s murder.

Jennifer Boulanger of the Allentown Women’s Center and the Abortion Care Network literally risked her life by going on television to help draw attention to the problem.

Ms. Information

Rachel reported that the Department of Homeland Security is suspending the policy of deporting immigrant widows and widowers when their American spouses die.

And then she gave us a moment to realize that she’d really said that and try to put our eyeballs back in.

Foreign-born gays and lesbians with living spouses, however, are still being forcibly shipped out. Just in case you were worried that our national policy is getting all mushy.

Slo-Mo-Mayor

The Senate Republican Caucus has issued a statement that it’s not the days that make them want to delay Judge Sonia Sotomayor. It’s those darned cases! Reading seven court cases a day has been medically proven to make your brain swell up through your skull and cause grassy roots, and so they must limit themselves to six.

To help break down the politics and the math, Rachel brought back Ana Marie Cox (Hooray!) (No, wait: Godless huzzah!) of Air America Radio.

Rachel is correct in saying that Ms. Cox’s Playboy article is great. No, not the one called “The Hierarchy of Hair Down There.” The one on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Though I’m sure the other article has some valuable insights too.

GOP in Exile

George H.W. and Barbara Bush celebrated Mrs. Bush’s birthday by having a pool party with cast members from A Chorus Line.

Rachel seemed to think that Mrs. Bush’s picture with Dances With Speedo was a P.R. disaster, but I don’t know that I agree.

I think maybe when you turn 84, you get to have all the cake that you want. Including beefcake.

The Truth Will Out

…And that’s enough of things that don’t involve horror and wretched despair for a while.

A palpably outraged and disgusted Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D – Rhode Island) gave a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday night to let us know that the news on our torture program is, incredibly, about to get worse.

Just as you suspected all along, Whitehouse said that we have been “misled about nearly every aspect of this program.”

Which means the Liz ‘n’ Dick Cheneys’ Magical Mystical Obfuscation Road Show is about to swing back through town. I triple dog dare you to invite the cast to your birthday pool party.

Cocktail Moment

Rachel whipped up an Irish coffee for the Grand View Topless Coffee shop in Vassalboro, Maine.

The Grand View burned down a few days ago, but the coffee shop has reopened in a tent. The waitresses are volunteering their time and working strictly for tips until the owners can rebuild. (They are also currently working in sweatshirts to keep out the chill.)

The fire was set deliberately, apparently another instance of someone trying to impose their personal moral standards on a community through violence.

So if you are in the Augusta/Vassalboro area, visiting the Grand View is, in a way, a blow for social change through legitimate means. While you are there, read a Playboy just for the articles.